Instant Star
by HRH1993
Summary: Katniss Everdeen wins a singing competition that could propel her career forward. She is surprised to learn that her new producer is no other than 90's boy band star Peeta Mellark. (Inspired by the show Instant Star.)
1. Instant Star

Instant Star

* * *

_This is an idea that has been in my mind since 2015 and I finally wrote it._

_This story is inspired by Instant Star, one of my favorite shows as an adolescent. The music from the show is pretty amazing, in my opinion. The show itself is cringe but it holds a piece of my heart nonetheless. _

_I own nothing. All rights reserved to those who own the materials._

_The song used in this chapter is "Wolves" by Selena Gomez and Marshmello. _

_Feedback will be greatly appreciated seeing as this is my first attempt at writing._

* * *

Katniss Everdeen swore she hated singing competitions and what they stood for. Mediocre talent was fine as long as the person was attractive. Corny stories about the person's life before their audition would begin.

"_I've wanted to be a singer since I was a—"_

"—_little girl." Katniss finished as she stuffed more popcorn into her mouth. _

All a person has to do is show up at an audition, go through a couple of weeks of learning songs they never heard before (and lying to the camera about them being childhood favorites), perform with a bunch of strangers, and win a record deal. Most viewers only cared about the famous judge's banter more than the performances anyway.

And the contestants would exaggerate notes and stomp around as they made fists in the air and bring them in towards their body.

"_Why do they keep doing the fist-and-pull thing?" Katniss asked. Gale shrugged. _

Then the judges would praise the contestants even though the performance was subpar.

"_That rendition of Celine Dion was A-MA-ZING! Celine must be shaking in her heels after that performance!"_

"_Did they watch the same performance we just watched?" Katniss asked Gale in disbelief. _

Singing completions are so predictable and lame.

Yet, every week she'd watch.

She would roll her eyes at the overly enthusiastic crowd as they cheered on complete strangers as they sang mediocre covers of classic rock songs.

She would suffer through Country Music Night with the help of the loud crunching of her chips and the promise of watching her favorite contestants make it to the next round.

She'd call in her vote every week. She would never admit to Gale that she had a few of the songs downloaded onto her iPod.

She'd be grumpy for a month if one of her favorites was eliminated. Even after elimination, she'd follow their careers because she was loyal like that. She got pretty good at predicting what week her favorite contestants would get eliminated (the episode where they're featured the most on air) and who would eventually win (the one with the most MySpace friends).

Katniss' love for music was something her father had instilled into her as a child. He was a huge music nerd. His albums were color coordinated and alphabetized in a manner only he and Katniss understood. He'd play "Twist and Shout" by the Beatles every Sunday morning. It use to make her mother dance and laugh. That particular album hasn't been touched since he passed.

Katniss and Prim would dance and sing along to her father's guitar while her mother would smile and clap along on lazy afternoons. The Everdeen home was always full of music when he was around. When he died the place felt cold and silent.

After his death, she kept music close to her heart. She went through his records and listened to every one of them in hopes that she could keep a piece of his soul with her forever.

She eventually began playing her father's guitar. She would play covers of her favorite songs before she began writing her own music.

Katniss made music for her MySpace page whenever she was not at school. Her covers gained her a decent MySpace following and that eventually inspired her to venture out into releasing her originals.

Katniss realized she had been keeping subconscious tabs on the audition announcements for a long time. Every year Philadelphia is a popular location for her favorite singing competition, Instant Star. Every June, Philadelphia would be covered in Instant Star billboards. Countless Instant Star commercials on television and radio would play for months in advance.

She wasn't used to singing in front of crowds. Her nerves kept her away from the auditions for years.

* * *

Her best friend Gale Hawthorne was the one who signed her up.

"Tough shit, Everdeen."

"Gale! I didn't ask you to do this!" the angry tears streamed from her eyes as her best friend braced himself for her wrath.

"I told you that if you didn't apply to school for the fall, I would sign you up. You need a plan and this could help get you exposure!"

"This is not the type of exposure that I wanted! I wanted to try this the right way."

"The right way?! What's the 'right way' for you? Moving to LA and going broke?"

Katniss' face fell as she looked at Gale. The truth is that she did want to travel in hopes that she would be discovered somehow. She wanted to at least try to do it on her own. Maybe even go to music school if she wasn't signed within two years to make her mom happy and find _some _career that incorporated music, even if she didn't get to sing for a living.

It was easy for him to make plans for the future. He _wanted_ to go to college and he had always wanted a sensible career. Katniss, the daughter of famous dermatologist Abigail Everdeen and sister to valedictorian Primrose Everdeen, hadn't bothered to sign up for college. Not this year. Not until she tried to find her destiny on her own.

They stared at one another. Neither one of them was willing to surrender. Finally Gale surrendered but not without letting out another deep sigh.

"You've been using the 2004 Instant Star flyer as a bookmark for years. You have no excuse to stay home this year. I know you've thought about it. You have more talent than all those other contestants put together."

More heavy tears streamed from the corners of her eyes. This was too vulnerable.

Gale pulled Katniss in for a hug as she reluctantly hugged him back. She was still pissed but maybe he was right. She had nothing to lose now.

"Come on. Let's pick a song for your try out. Unless you already have a song picked out?"

Katniss chuckled as he wiped away her tears.

_Of course she had her song picked out._

* * *

The audition was terrifying. She had never sung in front of people that weren't her friends or family. She repeated her father's favorite mantra in her mind to get her through it. It wasn't the most conventional advice but it always calmed her.

_It'll be alright. You can get used to anything except being hungry._

He was right, what did she have to lose?

Three yes votes. She didn't run out of the audition room screaming. She just held her ticket up to Gale and they silently walked out of the crowded venue with knowing grins on their faces.

Today was the Instant Star finale. Katniss was up against a country singer named Samantha Glenn. Samantha Glenn did a cover of a Miranda Lambert song that had the audience in tears. She was definitely not competition to be taken lightly.

Katniss' heart thumped in her chest as Prim finished straightening her hair. Prim had also done her make-up in a subtle bronze eye to go with the tight dress and jean jacket she was wearing. She told Katniss that she didn't want her embarrassing the family on national television with her braid and chapstick "look".

"You look hot. Maybe we are related after all."

Katniss rolled her eyes and decided to take the backhanded compliment.

"Katniss Everdeen?" asked a guy with an earpiece and a clipboard. Katniss nodded.

"Come on. We have to get you to the stage in 5 minutes." Katniss got up from her chair as Prim finished perfecting her sister's lipstick.

"Kick ass, okay?" Prim whispered.

"Okay." Katniss whispered back.

Gale, who had been on the dressing room couch with Delly and Abigail, patted Katniss' shoulder. He knew better than talking to her when she was nervous.

They all shared one last smile as Katniss stepped out of the greenroom.

* * *

Caesar Flickerman introduced her in his exaggerated manner as she waited backstage. She'd be using her father's guitar tonight. Even if she didn't win she wanted him to be on stage with her. She hadn't registered that Caesar had stopped talking until a woman with a headpiece gently grabbed Katniss' shoulder.

Katniss took a deep breath before taking a step onto the bright stage. She made her way onto the microphone as the crowd began to cheer her name. She mentally reminded herself to take another deep breath to control her nerves.

She strummed her guitar and began to sing.

"_In your eyes, there's a heavy blue  
One to love and one to lose  
Sweet divide, a heavy truth  
Water or wine, don't make me choose"_

The orchestra joined her guitar as she continued to sing. Her voice carried through the crowd in an even, smooth serenade.

"_I wanna feel the way that we did that summer night,  
Drunk on a feeling, alone with the stars in the sky"_

She smiled as she began the next part.

"_I've been running through the jungle  
I've been running with the wolves  
To get to you, to get to you  
I've been down the darkest alleys  
Saw the dark side of the moon  
To get to you, to get to you  
I've looked for love in every stranger  
Took too much to ease the anger  
All for you, yeah, all for you  
I've been running through the jungle  
I've been crying with the wolves  
To get to you, to get to you"_

She closed her eyes.

"_Oh, to get to you"_

She opened her eyes and looked onto the crowd as she continued onto the second verse.

"_Your fingertips trace my skin  
To places I have never been  
Blindly I am following  
Break down these walls and come on in_

_I wanna feel the way that we did that summer night  
Drunk on a feeling, alone with the stars in the sky_

_I've been running through the jungle  
I've been running with the wolves  
To get to you, to get to you  
I've been down the darkest alleys  
Saw the dark side of the moon  
To get to you, to get to you  
I've looked for love in every stranger  
Took too much to ease the anger  
All for you, yeah, all for you  
I've been running through the jungle  
I've been crying with the wolves  
To get to you, to get to you"_

"_Oh, to get to you"_

"_I've been running through the jungle  
I've been running with the wolves  
To get to you, to get to you  
I've been down the darkest alleys  
Saw the dark side of the moon  
To get to you, to get to you  
I've looked for love in every stranger  
Took too much to ease the anger  
All for you, yeah, all for you  
I've been running through the jungle  
I've been crying with the wolves  
To get to you, to get to you"_

"_Oh, to get to you"_

She finished the note as she took in a second to take in what may be her last moments on stage.

She absorbed the applause from the audience. The proud looks on Prim, Abigail, and Gale's faces as she finished her song. She looks at the delight in the judge's faces.

She made it a point to not check how many followers Samantha Glenn had on MySpace. She wanted to see if she could win the competition without getting into her own head. From the signs of the crowd, it looked as though Samantha and Katniss were even on fans.

The judges didn't give a verdict on her performance today since it was the finale. She was both thankful and worried about that. It was up to the viewers now.

"Phenomenal, Katniss!" Caesar praised as she made her way to him. "Katniss Everdeen, how do you feel after that A-MA-ZING performance?"

Katniss bit her bottom lip slightly before releasing it. "It felt great. I wrote that song years ago. I'm happy that I got to share it with the world."

Samantha Glenn came out to join the host and Katniss after a short commercial break.

Caesar began to give the audience logistics on the voting process of Instant Star now that both Katniss and Samantha performed.

The winner gets a three year contract with District Records and a spread in Rolling Stone magazine once their debut album is finished.

Votes were calculated based on phone calls and the amount of downloads the contestants got throughout the last week on iTunes.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, the moment you've all been waiting for…" Caesar announces. He paused for dramatic effect. "… Your new Instant Star winner IS…"

Katniss and Samantha gave one another a small smile. Katniss felt her heart pounding.

She reminded herself of how when she watched the show at home, Caesar always took exactly 23 seconds before announcing the winner.

_18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23_

"…KATNISS EVERDEEN!"

Katniss felt the tears before she could stop them. All the times she chastised and made fun of the winners when she watched at home for being dramatic were forgotten. She didn't know what to do with herself so she decided to hug her guitar. Her friends and family ran to her and she clung to them for dear life. Gale lifted her off the ground and that caused her to give a full belly laugh.

She couldn't remember when she had been this genuinely happy.

They too were crying happy tears for her. Even Prim.

She clung to them as she felt the joy radiating through her.

Everything after that was a blur.


	2. Lil Peeta M

Lil Peeta M

* * *

District Records was in the middle of downtown Philadelphia. It was an older brick building that didn't stand out much. Yet, it was huge.

Today Katniss was meeting with Haymitch Abernathy, the CEO of District Records.

Haymitch was a legend in the music industry. He launched many careers of Katniss' favorite artists. He had many roles. In the 80's he was the singer for the rock band Paranoia. It was one of her dad's favorite bands. He later became a producer before eventually taking over District Records after his wife, Effie Abernathy, passed the role onto him so she could venture into the fashion world.

Katniss and Gale were both quiet as they walked into the District Records building. The night before they stayed up with Delly wondering who Katniss' producers could be.

"_Maybe Haymitch will like you so much that he'll just end up producing you himself." Delly envisioned in awe. _

"_Or maybe you'll get Paul Epworth." Gale chimed in. _

_Katniss smiled at them both as she got another slice of her fondant cake. "I'll be grateful to work with anyone."_

They walked into the reception area and before they could tell the receptionist what they were there for they both jumped as they heard, "KATNISS! Welcome! Get over here." Haymitch yelled across the studio lounge from his office.

He engulfed Katniss in a hug. He managed to lift her off the ground a little. He was a tall man. He looked around fifty years old. His long, ash blonde hair was pulled up in a low ponytail. He wore a dark suit and was holding a dark brown drink despite it being 9 am.

"Katniss, I'm so happy you won and that Samantha Glenn girl isn't here in my studio. I couldn't stand that fake sob story about her boyfriend leaving her. You girl, have a real talent. Smooth, smoky voice. Good taste in music. Cute girl and you're tall." He let out a low whistle as she felt her face flush. She wasn't used to this much attention.

His lack of filter would need getting use to.

"Who's this?" Haymitch turned to Gale after her put her down from his bear hug.

Katniss laughed nervously as she regained her composure.

"This is my best friend Gale Hawthorne." Gale and Haymitch shook hands.

"Best friend? It's best that it stays that way. You having a boyfriend would be bad for your image. I'm not trying to be sexist. It's all in the numbers. I need you to seem attainable to your fans. No boyfriend at least until your debut album is platinum."

"It's not like that." Gale said.

"Don't worry about the boyfriend thing. Music is my main priority." Katniss hated talking about relationships or anything in the intimate sense. Talking about it with her new boss made it all that more awkward. She felt her face tomato. She was use to people assuming things about her and Gale but it felt worse when a stranger (her multimillion dollar boss stranger) assumed things about their nonexistent relationship.

Initially he made a 'yeah right' face until he saw how serious she was then nodded and chuckled to himself. "No one with that much of a badger face would bullshit me so I believe you." He turned and laughed loudly to a poor guy passing by carrying two trays of coffee. Gale snickered.

_Badger face? _

Her face got redder and more perplexed as Gale and Abernathy continued to laugh. This was so fucking embarrassing. She just wanted to sing. She rolled her eyes as Abernathy took a drink and guided them to his office.

Katniss never had much luck with guys. At 17, she had only gone as far as making-out with Charlie Mills after band practice sometimes. He was nice enough and she was curious about kissing. He seemed to be in the same boat as her so mutually they seemed to get along. After graduation, they tried texting for a while (a week) before losing touch. She didn't really care. No guy held her attention for long. Music was her only passion.

Haymitch gestured for Katniss and Gale to have a seat once they reached his office. It was huge and smelled like candle wax. She and Gale looked around at his guitars and plaques in awe. He might be an ass but he was still one of the greatest.

"We should talk about your debut album. I want you to record "Wolves" immediately." Katniss focused her eyes on him and nodded.

"We'll go from there. Your mom was faxed your contract and she returned it with both of your signatures. I'm going to cut the crap and just tell you that I want the album in three months."

Katniss' eyes almost bugged out of her head.

"Is that possible?" Gale asked.

"Anything is possible. Katniss, you just won Instant Star. You know how this industry works. If you don't strike while the iron is hot then your 15 minutes of fame are up. I paired you with an amazing producer so an album in three months shouldn't be a problem. He's done this before."

"He?" asked Katniss. She felt a mixture of dread and hope of finding out who she would be working intimately with for the next few months.

"Who's her producer?" Gale asked a little too suspiciously for Katniss' liking.

"Peeta Mellark." Haymitch stated with a huge grin.

Katniss felt her stomach fall.

Gale laughed in disbelief. "You're kidding, right? Lil Peeta M?"

"I assure you I am not joking. He's my best producer." Abernathy looked annoyed with Gale's audacity to laugh.

Gale looked over at Katniss who was now a little pale. She mustered up what she hoped was a grateful smile towards Haymitch.

He took a big swig of his brown juice and laughed loudly. "You need to work on that badger face, girl. Trust me, he's your best hope."

_Peeta Mellark._

_Welp._

* * *

Primrose was not the warmest older sister when Katniss was growing up. Their father's death had different impacts on the girls. As Katniss grieved through music, Prim chose to grieve by focusing her energy on climbing the social ladder.

Prim has always been gorgeous, tall, smart, and was ridiculously confident. She was the school's debating team champion and dated a nerdy snob throughout high school that brought out the mean in her.

Katniss was forbidden to talk to Prim anywhere near her school friends. Even though Prim was four years older, Katniss' peers knew who she was because of her looks and popularity. She wasn't allowed to confirm that they were sister or even remotely related. No one would have believed it anyway.

Katniss favored her father's tan skin and grey eyes. Her hair was a dark brown that almost looked black. Primrose on the other hand was pale and blonde. Her eyes were a blue-green. She took after their mother.

Physically, the only thing they really had in common was their tall stature.

The girls had very different tastes in music. Katniss preferred any type of rock: pop-rock, classic-rock, or alternative-rock. Primrose loved Top 40.

Prim was the number one fan of the boy band, Area 12, throughout her adolescence. She camped out for their CD releases at Sam Goody. When they came to Philly, she went to their concerts. She had that stupid light blue crop top with the faces of the Area 12 members on it. She was obsessed with the star of the group, Peeta Mellark aka Lil Peeta M.

Peeta Mellark sang in Area 12 as a teenager. The embarrassing Lil Peeta M nickname was given to him since he was the youngest in the group. He drove the teenage girls crazy with his signature wink and puppy eyes. He wore a white bandana and cargo pants while dancing those ridiculous choreographed ensembles.

Katniss didn't care much for Area 12. Their music was too corporate for her taste.

They at least kept Prim entertained enough the summer after she graduated high school. "Cry Me a River" helped her through her break up with a nerdy snob after he dumped her claiming he needed to focus on his studies now that he was on his way to Columbia University.

When Area 12 broke up, Prim cried for months. The only thing that consoled her was the fact that now each member would have individual music to release. No all the members found success in their careers. Peeta Mellark, as he insisted on being called once he left Area 12, was the breakout star after the group split up.

His self titled debut album went platinum. He made a follow up album, "Sign of the Times" that also went platinum. A lot of his solo music was surprisingly good.

He surprised his fans by abruptly announcing his retirement from singing almost four years ago.

Katniss reluctantly told Gale one day that she liked "Sign of the Times." He scoffed and asked her if she had inhaled some of Prim's hairspray. She let that conversation go.

Truthfully, Katniss didn't dislike Peeta Mellark. She liked his solo music. She went as far as learning "Sign of the Times" on piano. His career was admirable. He adapted to the changing music industry and because of that he is going into the tenth year of his career.

Peeta Mellark was known for being a womanizer too. Prim would often make remarks of how he "could do better" than whatever model girlfriend he had at the time.

Not that Katniss gave a shit.

* * *

They had left Haymitch's office and he proceeded to give them a tour of District Records. It was huge there. There were at least ten studios to record in. Two of the studios were big enough to fit an orchestra ensemble in. The lunch room looked more like a small dining hall.

Haymitch insisted that he be called Abernathy halfway through the tour. Abernathy was now showing Katniss the smaller studios. They were pretty intimate. Abernathy said he wanted a studio for whatever size his artists prefer. He said that Peeta preferred the medium studio 5.

Her stomach turned as she thought about Peeta. She felt the nerves of meeting him rise up as they got closer to studio 5.

Peeta Mellark was sitting in front of the mixing board. She could see him as they got closer to the booth. Abernathy was still talking but she couldn't hear him. All she could register were Peeta's blue eyes meeting hers as he smiled through the door window. She felt her cheeks redden.

Abernathy opened the door as Peeta placed his coffee mug down and stood up. _He's not 'lil' whatsoever. _

"Katniss Everdeen. I finally get to meet you." Peeta extended his hand towards her. She hoped her palms weren't too clammy. He kept his gaze on her and squeezed her hand before he pulled away.

Peeta smiled. His white teeth lit up his face. _Wow. _

Peeta was always a looker. As a teenager he was cute but Peeta Mellark at 25 years old was unfairly handsome. He was tall, made of lean muscle, had perfectly coiffed curly blonde locks, and the bluest puppy eyes. His face was more defined and overall… _hot._

He stepped up his attire since his boy band days. No more white bandanas and baggy cargos.

He now wore a white button down and dark wash jeans.

"Hello." She gave him a forced smile and tried to concentrate on anything other than his eyes.

He smiled again.

_Wow. _She tried not to swoon. _Get it together, Everdeen. _

Abernathy smirked to himself. "Peeta here will be your producer for your debut album. He's a wise man and despite what you may think of him or his past…" Abernathy paused as he gave Katniss and Gale a chastising look, "he is going to be your closes friend for the next three months so get comfortable."

Katniss looked at Peeta to see if he caught Haymitch's embarrassing tone. She expecting him to look upset but he just looked amused. "He's produced various hits. He might teach you a few things. Maybe he can even help you with your badger face." Katniss blushed. Abernathy laughed and sipped his brown juice again. His embarrassing remarks would also take time getting used to.

"Get to it. Make me a hit." Haymitch said before stepping out already dialing his flip-phone for whatever task he had to do next.

"I'll see you later Katniss. Call me if you need anything." Gale said as he hugged her goodbye. She caught the disapproving look he flashed to Peeta before he walked out the door. _Fucking Gale. He hadn't even greeted Peeta. _

She felt as though the room was suffocating her. She was alone with Peeta Mellark in a small room. She could hear the bustle in the hallway. She wanted nothing more than to run outside and stick red face in some cold water. This morning had proven to be super embarrassing.

"So you're stuck with Lil Peeta M as your producer." Peeta smirked as he grabbed an apple from the soundboard.

Katniss felt the heat travel to her neck as she tried to think of something to say.

"I get it. Abernathy is right though, I'm not as dumb as I look." He smiled before biting his apple. She looked down and began picking up her guitar in hopes that her nerves would somehow vanish.

"I watched you on Instant Star. You're genuinely talented, Katniss." He continued as she unpacked her journal from her cross body bad. "You started out so shy then you began gaining your confidence. Your last performance was incredible. Wolves is well written."

"Thanks." She murmured. This was all too much. He was talking to her as if he cared.

She didn't know what else to say. She wanted to tell him thanks for taking the time to work with her. That she didn't mind Area 12 anymore. That despite what rude ass Gale thought she was impressed with his musical talents. That she felt like an imposter.

Instead, she blurted out rather hastily, "I really liked your second album."

His face reflected surprise. _That was for sure too abrupt. _

"Thanks, it only took me 3 years to write it."

She laughed as he smiled back at her. He was nice. She could tell he was trying to make her feel calm.

"So, Abernathy made it clear he wants us to record this album in three months."

"Yeah…" she murmured and looked down. As grateful as she felt to be there she felt in over her head. She had just won Instant Star a couple days ago. Now she was supposed to record an album…. with _Peeta Mellark_ in three months. Her scalp began to prickle as the anxiety set in.

"I think it'll be fun."

She looked at Peeta then. He looked genuinely excited to take on the task. She was not so sure that she could do it. She bit her lip as he continued. "Don't worry Katniss. I'll be here to help throughout the process. You might hate me at times but I promise this album will be great."

He looked so earnest in his promise that she decided to trust him. She whispered an 'okay' before she smiled at him.

"Good. Now, first thing is first. We have to record Wolves."

They have been recording Wolves for hours now.

Peeta Mellark was a perfectionist.

They started off with the instruments and now finally they made it to vocals.

"_In your eyes, there's a heavy blue__  
__One to love and one to lose__  
__Sweet divide, a heavy truth__  
__Water or wine, don't make me choose"_

"Katniss, you need to emphasize your words a little more. I want you to sound passionate when you get to the 'to get to you, to get to you' parts. Then slow down when you get to the 'yeah, all for you'. Got it?" He interrupted from the other side of the recoding booth.

She tried again.

"_In your eyes, there's a heavy blue__  
__One to love and one to lose__  
__Sweet divide, a heavy truth__  
__Water or wine, don't make me choose"_

"Good! Keep it slow."

"_I've been running through the jungle__  
__I've been running with the wolves__  
__To get to you, to get to you__  
__I've been down the darkest alleys__  
__Saw the dark side of the moon__  
__To get to you, to get to you__  
__I've looked for love in every stranger__  
__Took too much to ease the anger__  
__All for you, yeah, all for you"_

"Slower."

She bit her lip and sighed. She tried yet _again_.

"_All for you, yeah, all for you"_

She looked at him and he smiled in approval. He waved for her to continue.

It helped to keep things slow by closing her eyes.

"_I've been running through the jungle__  
__I've been crying with the wolves__  
__To get to you, to get to you, oh, to get to you" _

She opened her eyes as she finished the smooth, slow note.

She looked at Peeta in hopes that this was finally the take that he approved of.

He was staring at her with a deep intensity in his eyes. She maintained the eye contact unsure of what else to do. She felt vulnerable under his gaze. She saw him swallow before pressing down on the microphone for the booth.

"That was great Katniss." His voice sounded rough. He reluctantly looked down at his watch. "Um, we can pick up where we left off tomorrow. I think your boyfriend should be here soon to pick you up."

"He's no—"

That's when Gale walked in. Peeta cleared his throat and turned to Gale.

"Right on time, man. I'm Peeta by the way. We didn't really get a chance to meet earlier."

"Gale."

The two men shook hands. Gale's eyes looked hard and too serious for Katniss' liking. Sometimes he took the protective friend role too seriously. _Fucking Gale. _

"Katniss, you ready?"

She nodded as she put the headphones back on their stand. As fun as today had been it was exhausting. Her throat felt like sandpaper. She needed to drink some tea and sleep.

She could feel both men watching her.

Katniss grabbed her guitar and joined Gale in the recording booth entrance. "I'll see you tomorrow Peeta. Thank you." She wanted to say more. She wanted him to understand how grateful she was that he had guided her but she resisted it. She didn't want to come off as nerdy.

He saluted in return. _Cute. _

Gale started talking about how hungry he was after a long day at the university physics lab as they walked towards the exit. Katniss listened politely but could no longer resist the urge to look back at Peeta.

He was still looking at her too.

He smiled at her in a final good-bye.

"I can't believe they paired you with that corporate over-produced boybander!" Gale finally burst out once they got in his car.

"He was pretty great. We got the instrumentals down for "Wolves" today. He thinks we can finish it by the end of the week." She replied in a dazed voice. She didn't realize she was smiling until she looked at Gale and his expression made her face fall. "What?"

"What could he possibly have to teach you that you don't already know?"

"It's a good thing to learn, Gale, regardless of the teacher. He's been in the business for a long time. That doesn't just happen."

"Katniss…. don't tell me you _like_ working with him."

Katniss stayed quiet.

_Throughout the day Peeta had been respectful of Katniss' working process. He asked her what kind of sound she was going for and when she told him he didn't judge her for wanting to be different. He showed her some rough demos he thought she would like._

"_I made these a couple weeks ago after you said on Instant Star that you liked alternative rock the most. I wanted to have them ready for you. If you don't like any of these we can see what else I can come up with."_

_She gaped at him. "What if I had lost?"_

_He smirked as he popped the CD into the player. _

"_The whole nation would have lost my respect if you would have lost." She blushed and averted her eyes to the soundboard. She wondered if she had ever blushed so much in her life._

_She caught him watching her intently as she absorbed the sound from each demo. He smiled when she chose the last one. _

"He hasn't done anything corporate or boyband-ish. I trust him." Katniss told Gale. He looked at her in disbelief but she looked back at him in anger. "You know, every time you criticize him, you're essentially criticizing me. You have to trust me."

"I'll give the pretty boy a probation period. If you don't like what he's doing to your music, let me know and I'll—"

"—you won't do anything. I can handle my own music."

Gale looked unsure but dropped the lecture.

"I guess the real question now is how are you going to tell Prim that her childhood crush is working with you?"

Dread washed over Katniss.

"I'm not telling her and neither are you" she told him possessively.

* * *

Thanks for reading :)


	3. My Blood

**My Blood**

* * *

A week ago Katniss was elated because she and Peeta finished "Wolves".

Her nerves grew after Peeta warned her that Haymitch usually had intense vocal critiques before they went into his office to play him the final version. Haymitch listened to it closely a few times then announced that he was going to release the song immediately. Peeta's eyebrows were practically to his hairline. All Peeta said was, "well that's a first." She took it as a victory.

It felt even more like a victory after he put his arm around her shoulder as they walked back to their studio.

It felt vulnerable but exhilarating sharing a song that was so close to her heart to the entire world. This was way more daunting in comparison to the way she felt before sharing her songs with her once small audience on MySpace, which has grown significantly since her win. She still found her new career to be overwhelming if she lingered on the notion for too long. She's learned that it's better for her to try and appreciate the moment for what it is instead of getting caught in the cycle of over thinking.

Peeta's attention to detail when making "Wolves" was close to obsessive sometimes. It took some time getting use to his working process. It took even longer to get accustomed to receiving his critiques. It got easier when she realized it came from a caring place.

Of course it doesn't hurt that he's handsome as hell. She still finds it hard to maintain eye contact with him because of his deep blue eyes and stunning smile. There's more to it though. He seems to read her moods well. Like how he knows when she needs to be alone when she gets tense or when he knows she needs a Poptart because she might have forgotten to eat. He's sweet and intuitive. The only guy she knew this well was Gale but this was different. Gale doesn't make her feel anything like Peeta does.

Then she remembers all the actresses and models he's dated and she feels silly for feeling whatever it is that she's starting to feel for him. Besides, they have a job to get done. There's no room for distractions. At least that's what she tells herself.

This morning Gale called her from his university's parking lot shouting because Hot 101.5 was playing her song. Gale admitted he was wrong. _"'Wolves' sounds perfect, Katniss. You and pretty boy did a good job."_

Peeta had also called her when he heard the song playing in his gym. Later that day he greeted her in the studio with a hug.

She had only opened the studio 5 door when he scooped her into his arms. She let out a small squeal in surprise as she wrapped her arms around his neck in return. He smelled nice. Like laundry soap. His muscles felt warm and solid as she pressed herself into him. They both seemed reluctant to let go of one another. When they finally let go Peeta smiled at her.

"_Congrats, Katniss. You're a hit."_ Her eyes shone in response to his compliment.

* * *

After "Wolves" was done, Peeta suggested to Katniss that she should write a love song. She was reluctant due to her lack of experience but she couldn't argue. She knew her album would need relatable themes if she wanted people to resonate to her music.

They both worked on writing a love song all morning. Katniss felt frustrated. They had been writing for hours and she only had one verse done.

"Maybe we need a change of scenery." Peeta suggested at hour three.

"Can we do that?" Peeta chuckled in response as he extended his hand to her. He helped her get up from the studio couch. She felt her fingers tingle from the feeling of his palm against hers.

She briefly wondered what it'd feel like to have him hold her hand in a romantic manner. She pushed the thought away as they made their way to the parking lot.

She rolled her eyes when she saw his car.

"Why are you rolling your eyes now?"

"Of course you drive a Range Rover." She teased as he held the door open for her.

"Of course." He replied in a soft voice as an amused smile settles on his handsome face as he circled to the driver's seat.

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

She felt her face flush despite the cold. His car smelled good. She found the seats to be comfortable despite her bias towards luxury cars.

"So… a pretty girl like you has probably been in love at least once or twice."

"What?!" She almost spit out her tea. She wasn't sure what shocked her more, him calling her pretty or him thinking she'd been in love. She turned to him and saw that his grin was gone. He looked stoic as he drove.

"Think of your experiences with love. Maybe that's why writing has been so hard for you today. You've been writing from an outside perspective. Get in the mind of someone in love."

"I'm seventeen. I've never been in love." After a pause she continued, "Music has been my only love."

Peeta had a pensive look on his face as he focused on the road. He looked bashful as he asked, "What about Gale?"

"All my feelings for him are strictly platonic. He's not my boyfriend. I've known him my entire life. I can genuinely say I feel nothing in a romantic towards him. Also, he's been dating Delly for like three years now."

She turned to Peeta as she finished. She was somewhat annoyed that he even thought anything was going on between her and Gale. He was the closest thing she had to a brother but she was use to this question. Everyone asked them if they were an item.

Gale had joked around and asked Katniss on a date when they were freshmen in high school, she refused. They didn't talk for a month until Gale apologized for acting like a dick after she rejected him. He started dating Delly junior year.

Peeta looked relieved. He continued the embarrassing conversation by asking her if she had witness true love in her life.

"My parents really loved one another" She was quiet for a pause before continuing. "After my father died, my mom changed. She started working a lot. She's the dermatology lead at Mercy Philadelphia. She was different around him. He brought out the easy-going part of her personality. He was the only one to get her to belly laugh at his lame jokes. She's never dated after him." She stopped herself there before she started crying. Thinking about her parent's love was too much.

Katniss was not sure what made her want to tell Peeta so much about her parents but when she turned to look at him she saw the understanding in his eyes.

Katniss didn't mention the months it took her mother, Abigail, to begin speaking to her daughters again. How Abigail would go through the motions of her everyday life without speaking much to anyone. How seeing Katniss graduate grade school was the only thing that made Abigail come to her senses again. After that, Abigail and her daughters grew together again.

Katniss put the dark thoughts aside. She didn't like to think about those times if she could avoid it.

"Sounds like a great love." He said as he makes a turn.

"It was." She smiled sadly. Her smile drops as he parks his car and she asks, "A lake, Peeta?"

Peeta laughed and shrugged but gave her no further explanation. "Since music is your only love, at least for now, write about the love you've been around. Look the song you write today doesn't even have to be on the album. I just think it's important for you to start writing about things you wouldn't normally consider."

"Well 'Wolves' is kind of a love song." Peeta wasn't having it. His response was an eye roll of his own.

She wasn't quite convinced this would work. If she thought about her parents' love she'd probably end up sulking for the rest of the afternoon. She decided to just enjoy a walk on the pier with Lil Peeta M.

They walked around the water for a while as Peeta picked up flat rocks to skip. Katniss was humming as she followed along the path Peeta took. She was having a hard time thinking of anything other than how cute he looked with a beanie on.

"_Love's the sweetest feeling__  
__Openly believing__  
__No matter what we find there__  
__Come back in through the eyes there__  
__Sole and born creation__  
__The lion's in the house__  
__Flowers are up in the air__  
__Crashing against the dark__"_

She made her way to the nearest bench. She watched him for a bit until the inspiration for the chorus finally hit her.

She started to write as Peeta continued skipping his rocks. It was a short song but she hoped it'd be enough for him.

She completed the task her assigned her.

Peeta came up behind her bench and read over the lyrics. She felt his confident presence as he leaned over her slightly.

She looked up at his eyes and she swore she saw a blush on his cheeks. They were so close.

She turned back to her notebook to avoid the effect of his proximity. She wrote off his blush as possibly becoming exerted from skipping stones.

"You're amazing, Everdeen." He whispered close to her ear. She smiled as a tingle ran down her spine. "AH-MAY-ZING!" He yelled in a mock Caesar Flickermann voice that caused them both to laugh.

"Come on. I'll show you how to skip rocks. It's only fair I teach you something today." They both laughed.

She appreciated the break from the studio.

* * *

Katniss rushed into the studio Saturday morning. She forgot to set her alarm the night before. She had stayed up writing a song and ended up falling asleep on her made bed.

Her alarm was Gale as he rang the doorbell when he picked her up. She got ready in a hurry deciding she'd apply her mascara in the car. She was grateful that she had the mind to shower the night before. Her naturally straight hair got a quick brush through after she washed her face and brushed her teeth.

She realized she had little to no clean clothes left when she opened her closet. It was either her white sundress or the pantsuit her mom bought her after graduation. Spring in Philadelphia meant that it would still be cold so she threw on her coat after settling for the sundress. It fit a little short but she had no time to be picky when she was already 5 minutes late. She grabbed a long cardigan too for good measure. The last thing she wanted was to feel exposed around Peeta.

"A sundress, Everdeen?" Gale asked as she settled in the car and started curling her lashes.

"Just drive asshole."

She _hated _being late, it made her anxiety flare.

Peeta was at the soundboard bobbing his head in concentration. He looked up as Katniss closed the door to the studio. She was too preoccupied with taking off her coat and getting her journal from her bag to catch Peeta looking at her.

The white dress made her skin look tan and supple. He swallowed thickly as he took in her exposed legs and shoulders. She threw on her long beige cardigan to help conceal her exposed skin.

"I'm so sorry I'm late. I forgot to set my alarm. I had, like, no clean clothes left. I finished 'My Blood' at least. I think we can get it done by next week."Her voice died off when she finally looked at him. She was expecting to get chastised for being late.

His eyes were doing the intense, dark thing again. They get like that sometimes. She doesn't know what to think of it when it happens.

He clenched his jaw and exhaled as he looked away.

His voice sounded rough as he told her that he'd love to hear what she came up with.

* * *

"_Welcome to my humble abode."_

Peeta's office was on the second floor of District Records. He suggested they eat their lunch there to get away from the studio and clear their minds.

It smelled like leather and his signature soap aroma that she came to love over the last weeks. The walls were a grey-purple color and his leather couch and mahogany desk took up the majority of the office. His desk was neatly organized. He had green plants around the room as well. It was very cozy. Very _Peeta_.

"This is a big couch." She murmured as she took as seat and started opening her soup container.

He watched captivated as she licked soup from the lid of her container. He looked down at his chicken sandwich and began eating to distract himself.

"So Abernathy still wants me to convince you to do the music video for 'Wolves' with another director as long as they can manage to rewrites the concept."

She scoffed as she dipped a piece of bread in her soup. "I know that I have to do a video but me rolling around in mud doesn't cut it."

"Well, I think your mom managed to scare that director off last week. Abernathy is looking for another director that will be more age appropriate."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful my mom gave that creep a lecture on sexualizing minors." She laughed. "But I'm not a kid. I just want the video to reflect my style."

"I wish your mom would have stuck up for me when I was 15 and I had to shake my ass in the "Pick Up the Pieces" video."

Katniss burst into laughter. Peeta smiled at her in response.

He made her laugh so much within the past few weeks. She never thought her producer would be someone who would get her to genuinely enjoy writing and producing an album in such a short amount of time. She was expecting it all to feel like work.

He was nothing like what she imagined an ex-boybander to be. He was more than a producer; she was starting to see him as a mentor or… friend. Yeah, her mind wondered to being more than just his mentee or friend but she tried not to focus on that. She knew she was too unlike his type to ever tempt him in that regard.

Nonetheless, she felt comfortable around him. He seemed to feel relaxed around her too.

Of course, things change.

* * *

The next day Peeta burst their bubble of artist-producer bliss.

"_That feeling, that doesn't go away just did  
And I walked a thousand miles to prove it  
And I'm caught in the crossfire of my own thoughts  
The color of my blood is all I see on the rocks  
As you sail from me"_

_Alarms will ring for eternity  
The waves will break every chain on me  
My bones will bleach  
My flesh will flee  
So help my lifeless frame to breathe_

_And God knows, I'm not dying but I breathe now  
And God knows, it's the only way to heal now  
With all the blood I lost with you  
It drowns the love I thought I knew_

_The lost dreams are buried in my sleep for him  
And this was the ecstasy of a love forgotten  
And I'm thrown in the gunfire of empty bullets  
And my blood is all I see  
As you steal my soul from me_

_Alarms will ring for eternity  
The waves will break every chain on me_

_And God knows, I'm not dying but I breathe now  
And God knows, it's the only way to heal now  
With all the blood I lost with you  
It drowns the love I thought I knew_

_And God knows, I'm not dying but I breathe now  
And God knows, it's the only way to heal now  
With all the blood I lost with you  
It drowns the love I thought I knew_

_And God knows, I'm not dying but I breathe now  
And God knows, it's the only way to heal now  
With all the blood I lost with you  
It drowns the love I thought I knew"_

Katniss finishes the song with a somber passion.

Peeta's puppy eyes looked into hers with worry. "Katniss…"

"Was that good enough for you?"

Her angry grey eyes refused to look at him as she continued to keep her responses short with him. She had been giving him the cold shoulder since lunch.

She finally snapped.

"Peeta, you don't have to pretend to care about me with things that don't concern music. I think Prim is waiting for you anyway."

Peeta's face fell as she gave him an angry glance. She refocused her attention to her hands as she continued to pack the guitar in its case. She remindsherself to breathe. She felt like she was going to cry if she looked at him for too long.

Today had been a horrible day for her. First, she was upset that she couldn't have lunch with Peeta earlier because of Gale's visit. That seemed to propel more disappointment into her day. Her eyes began to sting as she tried not to think about her lunch with Gale.

He looked a little pale by the time he got into the booth to try and slow her down.

"Katniss, your sister—"

"—save it. Do whatever you want with my _sister_."

He tried to grab her hand but she pulled away immediately. He doesn't get to touch her when the ink was still visible on his palm. His blue eyes reflected the hurt he felt from her refusal to let him near her.

She focused on getting out of the studio as fast as possible.

_She knew it was a bad idea getting feelings for a boy band womanizer—for thinking he felt it too. _She felt the sadness rise more as she tried not to feel so naïve at the thought. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath.

She just wanted to go home at this point. Nothing he could say could rebuttal the fact that her sister's number was written on his hand.

"Have fun on your date Peeta."

* * *

Sorry for the late post. Hope you all enjoyed nonetheless.

Feedback is greatly appreciated.

Thanks for reading! :)


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